Moderate exercises

Table Football training: On this page, Subbuteo beginners will find some moderate Subbuteo training exercises to improve their flicking skills.

The Maze (video tutorial)

I call this exercise “The Maze” because it creates a very crowded pitch with a static barrier at the shooting line and ten defending players additionally. Place them as shown in the preview below. Then try to shoot a goal with only five attackers, complying with all the given Table Football rules. Be careful and avoid to touch a defender with the ball. [If you’re an advanced player, add more and more defenders in the next stage to make it harder to get out of the maze.]

5touch – 5defense

This exercise combines my drills “Touching” and “Marking Players”: Put five figures of each team on the opposite shooting lines and five balls close to the center line as shown below. Then flick the five attackers so that they touch one of the balls easily.

Now flick the five defenders as close as possible to the attackers, without touching them.

Perform the best defense flick that is possible – sometimes the defender should end up between attacker and ball, sometimes the best position is directly in front of the ball.

Cutting around (video tutorial)

Place the ball inside the playing area but as close as possible to the sideline. Put some defenders close to the sideline as shown below. Now try to cut around the ball with your attacker (one or two flicks; the ball must not leave the playing area!) and pass it with your third flick along the sideline – without touching any defenders. [Ten stages.]

Passing

Flick the ball with an attacker from the corner directly into the center circle. [15 repetitions.]

Combinations

Flick a Subbuteo ball with three attackers on the pitch . Be careful to commit no foul while combinating and perform with each player a maximum of three flicks in succession. [Place ten defenders on the field and repeat the exercise.]

Block player

Flick the Subbuteo ball with an attacker about 20 cm away . Make then a block with the defender. [Repetitions: Flick the defender ten times each between attacker and ball (2a) or ball and goal (2b).]

On the lines

Place ten attackers along the Subbuteo pitch edge to central line, shooting lines and goal lines . Flick successively all attackers at least 20 cm on each line into the pitch. [Repeat the exercise with more speed.]

Contact and shoot

Put five balls into the Subbuteo shooting area and put five attackers ten to 30 cm behind them on the pitch. Flick any attacker so that it slightly touches the ball and then shoot immediately a goal. [Three stages.]

Goal wall shooting

Three shots right, three shots left, each from a distance of 20 to 30 centimeters. [Three stages.]